Cartridge



H.' P. BURST.

CARTRIDGE. No. 372,678. Patented Nov. 8188'7.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\vA\ \x\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ l S14/@amica MMM Uiyrrn` STATES HARRIS P. -PIURST, OF SUMMIT, MISSISSIPPI.

ATENT rricn. n

CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 372,678, dated November 8, 1887. h

Application tiled December 9, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, HARRIS P. HURs'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, in the county of Pike and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Cartridges; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms of all classes, and applicable to both smallarms and ordnance; and it consists in the combination, in a cartridge, of the wiper located at the rear of the charge and the wad or projectile connected to the wiper, whereby the latter will bev drawn through the barrel of the piece in rear of the gases when the charge is exploded, in order to clean the barrel.

My invention further consists in a cartridge having a main charge and an auxiliary charge chamber (one or more) communicating therewith in advance of the proj cctile and adapted to be tired by the flame from the main charge after the -latter is exploded, and in rear of the projectile, in order to accelerate the velocit-y thereof.

My inventionfurther consists in the pecu liar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings. forming part of this specification, Figure lis a longitudinal section of a cartridge for small-arms, illustrating the invention in its most complete and preferred form. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the central charge-chamber, the wad or plug, the wiper, and the wire connecting them together, the said wire being tightened and having its points withdrawn from the wad or plug to communicate re from the main chargeto the central charge. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec tion of a cartridge, omitting the annular acceleratingcharge chamber shown in Figs. l' and 4. AFig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge, showing the invention, but omitting the central powder-cylinder shown `in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section Serial No. 221,057. (No model.)

of a cartridge in position within the chamber of the gun, showing a modification in theform of the projectile and the mode of discharging the central cylinder. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing the application of the self cleaning or wiping device to a cartridge of common form.

The cartridge is made with'an external shell, l, of metal or other material, made to tit the chargechamber of the barrel B, and with the customary lianged base, 2, adapted for the reception of a cap or primer, 2f, of any preferred form. The projectile is shown at P. In the preferred form of the invention, where three or more powderchambers are employed to be successively ignited, the projectile tits within an inner shell, 4, surrounded by an annular charge-chamber, 5, the powder in which is ignited from the front after the projectile is in motion.-

6 represents a central hollow cylinder with a solid head resting against the base of the projectile and closed at its rear end by a plug, 7.

The plug 7l is connected by a coiled wire, 8, with a wiper, 9, fitting within the vbaseof the cartridge. Asecond coiled wire, 10, or a continuation of the first, extends from. the plug 7 within the hollow cylinder 6 to the head of the same, where it is firmly secured.

ll represents a coiled wire or a continuation of the coiled wire l0 in cylinder 6, connecting the first coiled wire, 8, and the second coiled wire, 10, preventing the separation of the same when the end of the first coiled wire, 8, is withdrawn from the plug 7 by the uncoiling of wire 8 by the force of the explosion. The coiled wires are so proportioned in length to the barrel that as the cylinder 6 is drivenv forward by the force of the explosion in the 'rst charge-chamber, 8', the coiled wire 8 will be drawn taut before the cylinder 6 reaches the muzzle, causing the withdrawal of the wire 8 from the plug 7 in the reartof the cylinder 6, and the second wire, 10, will be drawn taut after the cylinder 6 is projected beyond the muzzle.

The operation is as follows: Fire being communicated to the chargein the chamber by the cap or primer 2a, the cylinder 6 and projectile P are driven forward, and the instant the base of the cylinder 6 passes the front of the annular supplemental chargechamber 5, opening communieationtherewitln-the charge therein is ignited, applying an accelerating force to the base of the cylinder 6, and thus to the projectile. The charge in the chamber 5 may be quite large, for the reason that the danger 0f straining the gun is lessened by the fact that the projectile is already in motion when the charge in the chamber 5 is brought into action. As the cylinder 6 reaches the muzzle, or a little before, the coiled wire S, attached to the wiper 9, which latter is held against the base of the cartridge by the full force of the gas-pressure, draws the upper end of the wire 8 in plug 7 out of the base of the cylinder 6, causing the ignition of the charge of powder contained within the cylinder either by the communication of iire from the powder already in combustion or by means of a friction or other primer applied to wire in plug 7. The effect of this is to produce a third accelerating explosion, acting on the base of the projectile through the medium of the cylinder 6, the base or rear end of said cylinder, closed by the plug 7, being blown out rearward by the eX- plosion. As the cylinder 6 passes out of the muzzle, and the force of the explosion is spent and the gas-pressure within the bore relieved, the second coiled wire, 10, is drawn taut, forming a continuous bond between the cylinder and the wiper 9. The wiper 9, being now relieved of gas-pressure, is drawn forward and completely out of the barrel by the momentum of the cylinder 6, the effect being to wipe and cleanse the bore from breech to muzzle. It will be apparent that additional chargechambers, similar to the annular chamber 5, may be added to any desirable extent, the charges therein being successively ignited as they are uncovered by the cylinder 6.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 the annular charge-chamber 5 is omitted. The operationin other respectsis as already described. If desired, two cylinders, 6 6, may be used, as herein described, to be opened successively by the tightening of the coiled. wires 8 and 10, and serving to draw out the cleaner when the third coiled wire, 10th,'

is drawn taut.

In the embodiment of the invention shownl in Fig. 4C the cylinder 6 is omitted, a simple wad, 12, at the base of the projectile being connected by the coiled wire 8 to the wiper 9. rIhe wad l2 is made of soft metal having sufficient momentum to draw the wiper 9 through and out of the barrel, so that the operation will be the same as that described with reference to Fig. l in all respects save the omission of the third acceleratingchargc in the central cylinder, 6.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 a cylinder, 6", is shown, bearing against the base of the projectile P and itself driven forward by the wad l2, which is connected by the coiled wire 8 to the wiper 9, as before described. In this case the accelerating-charge in the cylinder 6" is ignited by caps 13 on suitable nipples at the front of the cylinder, which are driven into contact with the converging walls 14 of the bore. The projectile in this case is formed with annular projecting fianges l5, to confine the pressure, the said lianges being adapted to be'pressed down into annular grooves 16, to coincide with the cylindrical surface ofthe projectile.

The charge-cylinder 6 may be dispensed with, if preferred, and a simple wad, such as shown in Figs. i and 6, may be employed at the base of the projectile in lieu thereof, and the front end of the coiled wire attached to the wad in order to save the cost of the chargecylinder; but I prefer to use the latter, as its greater weight will cause it to be discharged from the piece with such force as to insure the withdrawal of the cleaner or wiper through the barrel. I also contemplate attaching the 'front end of the wire directly to the projectile, then dispensing with the Wad, and connecting the wiper or cleaner to the projectile. The only objection to this arrangement is that the wiper or cleaner will somewhat retard the velocity of the projectile-an objection of little moment when ring at short range.

The plug 7 is made in the shape of a truncated cone, its sides being inclined, and thereby it is adapted to fit snugly in the rear end of the cylinder 6, and, being drawn tightly into the said cylinder, affords a gas-check to prevent premature ignition of the charge in the cylinder 6. The plug is preferably made of rubber or other suitable elastic or expansive material. A

I do notin this application claim the specific construction of the cartridge as illustrated by Fig. 5 of the drawings, viz.: the cartridge having a main charge at the base of the shell, a secondary charge forward of and separate from the same,havingindependentfiring mechanism, and a projectile having annular projecting iianges; nor do I claim the same combined with a gun-barrel of reduced caliber, as I reserve this for a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a cartridge, the combination of the wiper or cleaner seated in the base thereof and the wad or projectile connected to the said wiper or cleaner by a wire or equivalent connection, whereby the latter will be drawn through the barrel of the piece after the charge is exploded, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. In a cartridge, the combination of the wiper or cleaner seated at the bottoni of the shell-chamber, a wad or projectile in front of the firing-charge, and a coiled wire connecting such wiper and wad or projectile, as set forth.

3. A cartridge having a primary chargechamber consisting of a shell secured to the base of the cartridge, the said shell being of full caliber and receiving the projectile therein, and an auxiliary charge-chamber surrounding said shell and communicating with the IOO IIO

bore of the gun (when the cartridge is red) forward of theinner shell, substantially as described. j

4. A cartridge having a primary chargechamber consisting of a shell attached to the base of the cartridge, said shell also containing a seat for the body of the projectile, and a secondary charge-chamber surrounding the first and communicating with the bore of the gun in front of the seat for the proj ectle, substantially as described.

5. A cartridge-shell having the enlarged chamber for the primary powder-charge, the

shell of reduced diameter for the projectile,

and the annular chamber for the auxiliary 15 In testimony whereof I afx my signature in@ presence of two Witnesses. y

HARRIS l?. HURST.

Witnesses:

J. W. GARNER, A. A. FREEMAN. 

